Fire extinguisher



April 29, 1941. w. l.. RoEssNER 2,239,975

FIRE EXTINGUISHER Filed Feb. 23, 19:59 2 sheets-sheet 1 April 29., 1941. K w. l.. RoEssNER 2,239,975

FIRE EXTIBGUISHER FileAd Feb. 23, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jwey.- r

Patented pr. 29, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FIRE EXTINGUISHER William Louis Roessner, Denver, Colo., assigner to Bertha L. MacGregor, as trustee Application February 23, 1939, Serial No. 257,866

6 Claims.

This invention relates to fire extinguishers, and particularly to automatic extinguishers in which a chemical such as carbon tetrachloride is employed as the extinguishing agent.

Heretofore, extinguishers of the character described have been provided with glass housings for the chemical and with fuse controlled hammers for breaking the glass and releasing the chemical. The main object of my invention is to increase the durability and to reduce the cost of such devices by substituting a metal container for the glass housing, and to provide means for dependably, eiciently and automatically puncturing the metal to release the contents of the container.

Another object is to construct the` container and the puncturing means in such manner that the puncturing means is located and is operable within the space occupied by the container. This -is a very important feature whereby the automatic operation of the device .cannot be interfered with by objects which may have been placed adjacent tothe extinguisher.

Another object is to produce an extinguisher in which the fire extinguishing chemical passes out of the container in streams, and preferably the streams gush toward each other, whereby the volatilization of the iiuid and its re extinguishing property are increased.

Another object is to provide means for filling,

sealing and carrying the container in a simple and eicient manner.

The invention has produced a substantial saving in the cost of packing and shipping re extinguishing devices, as well as in the initial cost. Breakage has also been avoided.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a Vertical sectional view of a re extinguisher embodying `my invention, taken in the plane of the line I--I of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan View of the extinguisher shown in Fig. l.

Figi. 3 is an enlarged sectional View taken in the plane of the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional View, enlarged, taken in the plane of the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the fuse shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of the lower portion of a modied form of extinguisher, taken in the plane of the line 6 6 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of the extinguisher shown in Fig. 6.

Fig, 8 is a Viet.r similar to Fig. 6, showing another modication, taken in the plane of the line 8-8 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 9 is a bottom plan view of the extinguisher shown in Fig. 8.

In that embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, the container Ill is preferably made of metal adapted to receive carbon tetrachloride or other fire extinguishing chemical. The container I0 is provided with a bottom wall II having a raised portion I2 connected to the bottom wall II by a vertical wall I3, forming a bottom opening recess in the container bottom.

In the top I4 of the container, a small hole is provided for lling the container. The container must be sealed without permitting any solder to contaminate the chemical, and for this purpose I provide a plate I5, having a raised portion in the form of a rib, which is placed over the opening in the Vtop I4 and soldered to the top at I5. A handle Iiil made of spring metal has its free ends inserted under the rib portion 4of the plate I5, and provides means for carrying the device or hanging it on a hook.

The device is provided with thermo-controlled, automatic puncturing means for the purpose of releasing the container contents. Said means is located in the recess formed in the bottom of the container and preferably entirely within the space occupied by the container. The puncturing means comprises a tubular, open ended, horizontally disposed housing Il, slotted longitudinally at the vbottom as indicated at I8, secured to the container wall I2 by any suitable means indicated at I9. Within the housing II are two oppositely facing, pointed puncturing members 20, .20, longitudinally and- `centrally bored at 2I, eachV provided with a depending retaining tongue 22. VThe tongues `22 .engage a thermo-responsive fusev23. Between the puncturing members 20 is a compressed coiled spring 24 which is powerful enough .to force the puncturing members 20 to move in opposite directions and to puncture the vertical wall I3 of the container I0, at opposite sides of .the recessed bottom, when Ythe fuse becomes affected by heat and releases the retaining tongues 22, but normally the fuse 23 and tongues 22 remain in the position shown, prevent expansion of the spring 24, and hold the parts inoperatively. r

The fuse 23 may be constructed in a variety of ways, but as shown, it comprises two narrow, thin strips 25 of readily formable metal, such as brass, parallel to each other except where they engage Opposite sides of a pair of short tubular retain,-

ers 26. The strips 25 are soldered together and to the retainers 261, by solder 2l, the latter being spaced from each other in the assembled fuseI so as to engage the outer surfaces of the tongues 22, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and prevent expansion of the spring 243.

The fuse 23 is constructed so that the solder 27 will melt at a predetermined temperature, say 160 F., whereupon the retainers 26 separate from the strips 25, the tongues 22 are released, and the puncturing members 23 move forcefully in opposite directions, under influence of the expansive -power of the spring 24, and puncture the wall I3. The fluidi in the container I0 passes out in streams through the bore 2I of the members 2Q and the openings I8 inthe housing I1. Thus the fire extinguishing chemical is efficiently and speedily released from its container.

In Figs. 6 and '7, the container walls I0, II, I2

and I3 are formed as heretofore described, butv the puncturing device comprises a pivotally mounted arm 3Q arranged to swing in a horizontal plane on the pivot 3i. The arm 35 is tubular or U-shaped, as desired, and has two pointed, tubular puncturing members 32 projecting from one side. The arm 3D is spring pressed at 33, and normally retained in the full line position of Fig.. 7 by a fuse 34. The puncturing members 32 aperture the wall I3 as indicated by the dotted lines of Fig. 7, when the fuse 34 has been affected by heat and has released the arm 30. Said members 32 and arm 3i) serve as conduits for the fluid when the container I0 has been punctured by the sharp ends of the members 32.

The construction shown in Figs. 8 and 9 comprises twov arms 35, 35,v mounted in diierent horizontalfplanes on a pivot pin 31, and spring pressed by springs 38, 39, to swing in opposite directions when the fuses 40, 4I are affected by heat and release the arms 35, 36. The arms 35, 35 are provided with pointed, hollow puncturing members 42, 43, respectively, which puncture the wall I3 at opposite sides of the recess in the bottom of the container I0.

Changes may be made lin details of construction without departing from the scope of my invention. For example, the member I1 which supports the puncturing means 20 in the construction shown in Figs. l'to 4, inclusive, may be round, oval or square in cross section, and it may be reduced in size and flt'within the spring 2l and the bore 2| of the puncturing members 20, without interfering with the automatic movement of said members 23 when released by disintegration yci the fuse.

In the constructions shown in Figs. 1 to 4 and 8 and 9, the streams of released chemicals dennitely meet'each other, and thus the solid body of uid is broken and diiused into numerous, tiny globules. In the construction shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the released streams strike the vertical wall I3 of the container and are likewise diffused. 'Ihus volatilization is rapidly and efciently effected. If' the chemical is not diffused, the rire extinguishing blanket of volatized fluid forms much more slowly, and some of the chemical might not volatilize at all. This objection is overcome by rmy invention.

I claim:

1. A re extinguisher comprising a container having a recess formed in one of its walls, puncturing means mounted in said recess, means for actuating the puncturing means, and thermoresponsive retaining means for rendering the puncturing means inoperative, said retaining means comprising a pair of easily formable metal strips, a pair of tubular retainers between said strips and solder connecting the strips to each other and to the retainers, said puncturing means being engaged by said retaining means between said tubular retainers.

2. A fire extinguisher comprising a container made of puncturable but non-shatterable material, puncturing means mounted on the container, means for actuating the puncturing means,` and thermo-responsive retaining means for rendering the puncturing means inoperative, said 'retaining means comprising a pair of easily formable metal strips, a pair of tubular retainers between said strips and solder connecting the strips ,to each other and to the retainers, said puncturing means being engaged by said retaining means between said tubular retainers.

3. A re extinguisher comprising a container having a recess formed in one of its walls, puncturing means mounted and operable in said recess, thermo-responsive retaining means for rendering the puncturing means inoperative until la predetermined temperature has been reached and then automatically releasing the puncturing means, and means for actuating the puncturing means when said retaining means has been released, said puncturing means comprising a pair of aligned, hollow, pointed members, a

the recess, said puncturing means being located to puncture the vertical wall of the recess, thereby releasing the container contents in horizontally directed streams, and thermo-responsive retaining means connected to` the puncturing means for controlling said means.

5. A fire extinguisher consisting essentially of a non-shatterable, unitary `container having a recess formed in one of its walls, automatically operable puncturing means mounted in and operable Within said recess for puncturing the recess wall, and thermo-responsive means also mounted Within the recess for;` normally restraining said puncturing means. I

6. A re extinguisher consisting essentially of a non-shattera-ble, unitary container having a recess formed in one of its walls, automatically operable puncturing means mounted in and operable within said recess for puncturing the recess wall at spaced apart points, and thermoresponsive meansalso mounted within the recess for normally restraining said puncturing means.

WILLIAM LOUIS ROESSNER. 

